Power outage shuts down WBEZ studios, disrupts programming
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Studios at WBEZ. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios
The lights went out on public radio on Wednesday.
The big picture: WBEZ-FM had an unexpected power outage at its Navy Pier studios, forcing the station to preempt live programming and run pre-taped programs directly from its transmitter on Michigan Avenue.
- The outage was severe enough that the station planned to transport equipment and personnel to an emergency studio on Belmont Avenue to broadcast, according to a WBEZ staff email obtained by Axios. The email also stated there were "obstacles" to getting the emergency studio up and running.
- At 1:46am Thursday, the studio regained power and local programming resumed.
The latest: While the station was without power, engineers raced to the transmitter at 875 N. Michigan Ave. (formerly the Hancock Tower) to operate the station without live broadcasters.
What they're saying: "We are still waiting for ComEd to give us an assessment of the issue with our Navy Pier studios, but are committed to getting back on air with our regular and local programming as soon as possible," WBEZ spokesperson Victor Lim tells Axios.
Zoom in: The NPR affiliate lost power during its local morning show, "In the Loop with Sasha-Anne Simons." The station used a backup power source to finish the show and then transitioned to BBC programming from the off-site transmitter. The station also skipped local and NPR newscasts during the outage.
- WBEZ says ComEd crews were working to get power back, blaming the morning's snow and rainstorms as the likely culprit. The building will need a new transformer, according to the staff email.
What's next: Without power, the station will continue to run "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered" without local news updates and will cover the rest of the lineup with programming from the BBC.
Flashback: WBEZ moved to the Navy Pier studios when the pier was renovated in 1995.